Green New Year's Resolutions: Build Community

It’s almost midnight — do you know where your resolutions are? If not, worry not: We’ve got a few suggestions lined up for you this week. While in years past, we provided you with specific eco-acts to focus on, for 2011, we’re zooming out a bit to consider more community-based ideas.

Tip #3: Build Community

If this tip sounds a bit vague or overwhelming, that’s because it’s a huge topic. But you can start by identifying an organizing principle around which you’d like to strengthen a local community — environmental issues work well. Then get active: Organize get-togethers around that theme, share your skills (and stuff), inhabit public places more (which also saves electrical light and heat, since they become communal), engage your neighbors, and encourage a culture of stewardship by serving as an example of the type of citizen you’d like to see more of. Worried you'll fall off the bandwagon? This poster can help keep you accountable.

Tell us: How you you plan to build community in 2011?